Logging car or sleigh



A. GENDREAU.

LoGGlNG CAR on sLEaGH.

fluguse Gendmu, 3mm

35% tfoxmq A. -GENDREAU. LOGGING CAR 0R SLEIGH.

1,343,772. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 191B. 15, 2 SHtEI'S-SHEEI 2.

d eac@ Snowdon @faste @en UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE. y

AUGUSTE GENDREAU, 0F BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IALF T0TELESPHORE BEAUDETTE, OF BEMIDJI, MINNESTA.

LOGGING CAR OR SLEIGH.

Specification ofrLetters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1920.

Application filed October 9, 1918. Serial No. 257,487.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE GENDREAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bemidji, in the county of Beltrami and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Logging Cars orSleighs, of which the following is a specification. j

This invention relates to logging appliances, and more particularly toan improved logging car or sleigh adapted to facilitate the loading andunloading of logs on flat cars and logging skidsor sleighs or the like,the device being primarily a labor saving and life protecting apparatusreducing the number of the crew necessary to run a log ging train toless than one-l1alf, and so constructed as not to obstruct the unloadingoperation and likewise preventing the logs from being lost byaccidentally falling olf of the car between a skidway and landing,thereby saving the necessity Qf employing a crew of men for picking uplogs along the road as is at present employed, and by reason of thefacility provided in unloading the logs to avoid injury to the crew,thus saving trouble and damage' suits incident thereto. j i

The invention further compreheuds the provision of posts or stakesmounted' at the side of the car or the like, for instance, the platformof a logging or flat car, having novel means for ,holding said posts orstakes in upright positions to act in conjunction with the bindingchainsto hold the logs from accidental displacement or from falling 0Hthe car, and means cooperative therewith to release the stakes to permitthe latter to swing or drop alongside of the platform from a pointdistant from thecar, so as to permit thelogs to be discharged or rolloff of the car without possibility of injury to the crew, such partsbeing of novel construction and relation as will be fully set forth.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises the novel features ofconstruction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts whichwill be more fully described in the following specification and then setforth with particularity in the claims appended hereto and which form anessential partof the same.l 0

Reference is 'had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisapplication, wherein similar reference characters will refer to similarparts throughout the several views, in whichv F igure l is a sideelevation of a portion of the body part of a logging car or sleighequipped in accordance with the invention, one of the posts or stakesbeing disposed in an upright or operative position for retaining thelogs,

lFig. E2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with'the hmgedly supported stakelowered or in operative position, j

Fig. 3 is an end view,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan of one of the bunks or holsters andparts applied thereto,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. ,Yand

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the upper end of oneof the posts or stakes. y i

Referring to the drawingswthere is shown in detail a portion of theplatform of a flat car, a skid, sleigh or the like commonly used forlogging purposes and adapted to be transported on wheels or runnersinthe usual manner. This platform preferably comprises the usuallongitudinal or side beams 11 transversely of which are arranged theusual bunks or holsters 12 upon which the logs are supportedlongitudinally of the platform, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3 of thedrawings. These bunks are arranged at suit-ably spaced points andpreferably in parallel relation near the center and at the ends of theplatform, or any other convenient relation to receive the logs thereon,as shall be found necessary or desirable.

At one side of the platform, in suitable sockets 13 secured to the sidesof the plat* form are uprightstakes or posts 14, to each of which abinding chain 15 and a binding chain 16 are secured as through themedium of Ubolts or other fastenings designated, generally at 17 anddisposcdoue below the other for a purpose as will presently appear.

The bunks 12 project beyond the sill members 11`at the ends, andattached to the projecting end of each bunk' opposite to the stake 14 isan angular supporting plate 18, the horizontal web bearing upon theupper face and the vertical web bearing lagainst one of the side facesof the bunk, the latterV web extending below the lower line of the bunk,as shown, said plates being secured in position by U-boltsll) passedvertically thro-ugh the bunks and spaced apart at the j Y portions ofwhich are secured to the plate,

while the lower or bight portions thereof are offset away from theplates alongside ofthe platform of the car 'or the like and formed witheyes or loops 21 disposed in a vertical plane in spaced parallelrelation to the depending portions ofthe plates.

A post or stake 22 is mounted adjacent to the depending portion of eachplate so as to be disposed in a vertical position as when.

chaining the logs, orto swing downwardly out of the path of the logsalongside of the platform, when unloading the saine, and for this Ypurpose, aU-shaped hanger member or band 23 is bolted through the lowerend of the post'as indicated at 24 in a direction coincident with orparallel to thefside of the platform and at right angles to thestirriiplike hanger-20 or gooseneck-hke support provided thereby, Athelower end or bight Jor-V n .tion of each hanger member or band 23 iavinga Yrestricted open loop pivotallyengaging the eye 2]..for pivotal orswingingiike movement of the post toward and away from the bunk from avertical to a horizontal position or vice versa, .along the pl atforn'iin swivel-like fashion. Y

Each bunk is provided upon the under- 'side of the projecting endthereof with a transverse .groove 26. A plate 32 is bolted to theunder.` face of the bunk and over the end of the, groove,'the platebeingsecured in place' by the bolts 31. Each plate is formed with upwardlyprojecting arms Y 33 in spacedrelation and Vattached at their upper freeends Ato the Vbunk as shown at A bolt 27' is slidably supported in thegroove 26 by suitable-hangers or clips, and

limited in movement in `one direction by a stop 3S, as shown in F ig. 4.

To the inner end of the bolt 27 achain is attached at one end while theother endpof the chain is connected as by a bolt 30 to the post 22 ata*certainpredetermined point. VThe rod or bolt 27 projects above theplate 32 and between the spaced portions or arms 33'thereof, whichlatter are designed'to accommodate the free end of a -bindinO' chain15.. The rod 27 is engaged b 1 b 23 C Tl the chainv after passingV overthe logs desig.

Y netted-at and held from 'displacement by bolt 19, that is the o nelocated'adjacent to retaining the rod against sliding movement, throughthe medium of a pinor the like 36 suitably suspended by a chain or strap37 Yto one of the parts 33, which pin is designed to pass through therod outwardly of the plate 32, thereby effectively. preventing the rodfrom being withdrawn from the link of the chain 15 while permitting therelease thereof by withdrawing the pin when unloading the logs, as willbe hereinafter set forth. The .rod is `limited .in its movement whenreleased, through the inedium of a collar 38 fixed thereon and operatingbetweenthe bolts 19, the innermost the depending portion' of theplate 18and the post-.22, serving fto `limit vthereleasing movement of said rod.

A limiting connection isi-also, provided between each post 22 and Vthe-adjacent.bunk, 85 such connection comprising a chain or the like 39connected-to the sideof the bunk adjacent to which` the dependingportion of the platelS is arranged, as by-ineans of a bolt`4() landto-thepost -22-above the connection of the chain 29 therewith, as. by aU or eye-bolt `41,'said chainBQbeingadapted to limit the downwardYswinging movement of the post 221:0 a horizontal position alongside ofthe platform, as is clearly :shown in Fig.`2 of the'diawings. Acting -inconjunction with. the `binding chain 15,- corresponding to the wellknownbunk lor toggle chains as used on'luinber ears,'is a bind- Y ing chain16 as previouslyrset forth, said 100 chain 1G being :anchored .to `thepost 14 below theY anchoring point of theA chain 15, and extendingacross a recess or groove 42 in the top of the post 22 and through anopening 48 :provided ina plate 44 se- 105 cured to the outer `face'ofthe `post 22 near its upper end, the free end of the chain beingdesigned to be engaged by adrawhook 45 vmounted upon the outer face ofthe post below theplate'44 andV comprising a lio stationary Vpart 44Gvto which lthe hook is pivoted as shown at 47 so that when 'the' chainis cnga-gedwith the hook, and thelatter is drawn downwardly, the chainwill be drawn taut and held from displacement 115 at its end. The freeor lowerv end'of 4the hook 45 extends between staples 48 and likewiseextending through the Vstaples Vin front of the depending free end ofthehook 45, is a pin 50 to retain the hook in 120 locked position. Y

YA third staple 49 is provided through which -the pin orlikewiseextends, and Vis provided with a stop 51 to 'limit the-movement andvprevent the entire withdrawal and loss ofthe pin.

A pull chain or like device 52 isr applied tothe pinV and leads to anydistant point away from `thepatlis of the discharging logs, so that thepin maybe withdrawn `and the ist hook l5 and binding chain 16 releasedwithout danger' to the operator.

In the operation of the device, it will be seen that the chain 15confines all of the logs while the chain 16 confines thosel below it butnot those above it and between the chains 1.5 and 16. l/Vhen unloadingthe pin 36 will beV removed to permit movement of the pin 27 to areleasing position. The pin 50 is then withdrawn by pulling the drawchain 'f2 to release the drawhook l5 and thereby "release the chain 16.As soon as the pin 50 is released, the post 22 will swing upon its pivot25 to a downward position and as the pin 50 is released from a distantpoint, injury to the operator will be obviated. As the post or stakeswings downwardly in its support, it will be limited by the chain 39,but before drawing the chain 39 taut, the chain 29 is drawn taut torelease the rod 27, thereby releasing *the binding` chain 15 and asthepost will be out of the way, the entire load willy be released andallowed to roll off of the car or sleigh. However, the release rod willnot be shifted until the post is alongside the side of the platform,thereby not interferring with the rolling off or discharge of the logs.The posts 22, as before noted, are all arranged to swing longitudinallyof the car and will be released simultaneously.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding ofthe construction, operation and advantages of my invention may be had,and while I have shown and described the device as embodying a specificstructure, l desire that it be understood that such changes may be madein said structure as do not depart from'the spirit and scope of theinvention as claimed.v

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. ln a vehicle for hauling logs, a platform, a plurality of bunks inspaced relation transversely of the platform, a log' supportingstationary post rising from the platform at one side adjacent to eachbunk, a movable post swingingly connected relatively to each of saidbunks, a trip hook at the upper end .of each movable post, a flexibleelement connected to each stationary post and adapted to be engagedrespectively by said trip hooks, a second flexible element connected atone end to' each stationary post, a release pin carried by each bunk,and adapted to be releasably engaged respectively by the last mentionedflexible element, means'between the release pins and the movable postswhereby the downward movement of the movable posts withdraws the pinsand releases. the flexible element engaged thereby,

and means for limiting the downward movement of the movable posts. 2

2. The combination with a platform and a post mounted at one sidethereof; of a post mounted at the opposite side and adapted to swingdownwardly to a horizontal position alongside of the platform, a bindingchain connecting said posts at the upper ends thereof, a second bindingchain connecting the upper end of the first named post to the lowerportion of the second named post, and release means at the upper end ofthe second named post adapted to permit falling thereof to release thesecond binding chain and thus release the load.

3. A car or sled apparatus for hauling logs, comprising the combinationwith a platform, a plurality of posts mounted along the platform at oneside, bunks across the platform adjacent to each post and adapted tosupport the logs thereon longitudinally of the platform, plates mountedupon the opposite ends of the bunks with respect to the location of theposts, posts positioned adjacent thereto and suspended in the lower endsof said plates, trip hooks at the upper ends of the last named posts, achain connected to each of the first named posts and engaging one ofsaid trip hooks, a second chain also connected to each of the firstnamed posts,- said first named chain being designed to hold the secondnamed posts in upright positions for retaining the logs between theposts, a release pin carried by each bunk for engaging the second namedbinding chain, connections between the second named pests and saidrelease pin for releasing the second named binding chain when the firstnamed binding chains are released to permit droppingof the posts second.named, and means to limit the downward movement of the second namedpests.

4t. The combination with logging ears or sleighs, having theusualtransverse bunks and posts at one side, said bunks proj ecting`from opposite sides of the platform, angular plates mounted upon theprojecting ends and' one side of the platform opposite to said firstnamed posts and depending therefrom, and a pair of binding chainsconnected to the first named posts, of a post adjacent to the plate ofeach bunk, a Ll-shaped member carried by a lower end of each post lastmentioned, a stirrup-like hanger carried by the depending portion ofeach plate and pivotally engaging the U-shaped member to permit downwardswingingmovement of the posts second named, said bunks each having arecess at the bottom thereof, a release rod mounted therein, a platemounted upon the bottom portion of each bunk at the side opposite to thepost and plate thereof, said plate having a claw portion between whichthe second named bind- Vhook in operative position and adapted to permitrelease thereof 'from a distant point, a Arelease rod mounted in thebottom portion of the bunks and lextending tlirough the Claw of eachplate for engagement with a binding chain, means for holding said rodagainst movement adapted to permit the release thereof-whereby when saidtrip hook is released7 the adjacent swinging post will drop downwardlyin a horizontal position adjacent to the side and 'bottom portion or'the platform7 a connection between said release rod and post to shiftsaid release rod or dlsengagmg from the cham between the claw, and a-Connection between the vbunk and said swinging post to limit thedownward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiX my' signature 25 hereto.

AUGUSTE GENDREAU.

